Inferno
by angellicvisions
Summary: After Lord Voldemort is defeated by the famous legendary Harry Potter, everything is at peace. Li Yang, an ambitious eleven-year-old girl, is waiting for that Hogwarts acceptance letter she has wanted for years.. *2nd cousin to Cho Chang* please R&R ;
1. Chapter 1

This is my **first** fanfic, so don't be too harsh, I'll try and improve – I need constructive criticism from you peeps! )

Aiight, here goes.

**DISCLAIMER:** I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER AND ITS CHARACTERS, NOR DO I OWN HOGWARTS – HOWEVER, I _DO_ OWN LI YANG!

It seemed more peaceful and quiet around London nowadays, now that the Boy Who Lived defeated Lord Voldemort, the most dangerous and powerful wizard of the age. The wizarding world celebrated with the utmost joy and relief and worshipped the legendary Harry Potter. The battle that took place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was long and fearful, many families were torn apart with grief and sorrow of losing their loved ones, the blood that was shed was a price to pay. But finally, the most feared Dark wizard was gone, forever.

The _Daily Prophet_ was, for the first time in quite a few years, under control and told no more lies after the second and final downfall of Lord Voldemort. The Ministry of Magic was back in action the following week after the battle, and there were no problems or catches there, either. The only vital thing missing from the Ministry was the Minister. No one had taken the place of Rufus Scrimgeour yet – the last Minister for Magic – and the whole of London was still deciding who was worthy enough to take the job.

There was a young eleven-year-old girl whose educational future was uncertain, like all other young witches and wizards living in Britain who were born with magic in their veins. Hogwarts had been significantly damaged after the battle and no one was sure if it could be rebuilt in time for the students to attend. Both the parents and the children were all waiting anxiously to hear some good news from the school that was being reconstructed.

She was a girl with straight black hair that grew up to just below her shoulders, with a neat side fringe framing her delicate face. Her eyes were deep and chocolate brown, and the rest of her face – her nose, her cheeks, her lips – were shaped perfectly.

Li Yang lay flat on her bed; arms and legs sprawled out, wearing her pyjamas. She stared up at the ceiling and blew a strand of black hair out of her eyes. A white owl, specked with a few black feathers, flew to her side through the open window and pecked the girl's arm affectionately.

'Just come back from hunting for food, have you, Xiao Wu?' Li asked the small owl softly, stroking it.

Xiao Wu hooted happily in reply.

'Got anything for me?'

The owl, looking bemused, took off out of the window yet again. Li rolled her eyes in irritation.

'Li!' her mother cried excitedly once Li showed up at the dining table that morning. 'Aiya, must read today! Look, the _Daily Prophet_!' she said again and again in her heavily Chinese-accented English.

Li, tired of her mother nagging her to read the newspaper more often, yawned and picked up the _Daily Prophet_. It was clearly a wizarding newspaper, because the black-and-white pictures were moving. The headline, printed in large, bold, black letters, read:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL RESTORED_

Li's eyes widened in amazement, half her mind still rather focussed on yawning. She read on.

_At last, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has been successfully rebuilt! Due to the trouble caused by You-Know-Who –_

'Oh, how stupid,' Li muttered. 'Voldemort's _gone_, goddammit. The name's not Tabooed anymore – don't tell me they're still scared of him.'

_Due to the trouble caused by You-Know-Who, some facilities for specific subjects may not be available, however, the Hogwarts castle is still fit for housing and educating young witches and wizards throughout their schooling years. The castle will be completely rebuilt by the next year. Those students who have already started – it is compulsory for you to return; you will be sent a letter with your school books needed for the year coming up and the time and date you need to board the Hogwarts Express. The new first-years will be also sent a letter explaining similar matters._

'_I'm lost for words,' said a teary-eyed Professor Minerva McGonagall, who seems to be extremely proud of the restoration of the school. 'It's taken a lot of effort from the wonderful and devoted teachers to get Hogwarts back and running.'_

'_It won't be like it was last year – Muggle-borns do not need to worry about having to prove that they are a pure-blood,' McGonagall reassures._

_Professor McGonagall will be Headmistress of Hogwarts, while Professor Slughorn is Deputy Headmaster._

Li could not contain her growing enthusiasm of going to the ancient and historic school. She was going to learn magic, like her mother and father. She was going to make new friends and have the time of her life living at Hogwarts castle. She was going to get a _wand_! Running to her mother (who was cooking) and hugging her, Li whispered in Chinese, 'This is wonderful, Ma.'

Then she let go and raced up the stairs to her bedroom before her mother could say anything in reply.

Just as she expected, an owl she had not recognised had flown through her window, carrying an envelope in its feet. Li knew at once where the owl had come from, because the envelope bore the Hogwarts crest of a lion, a serpent, a raven and a badger surrounding a large 'H' in the middle. Li removed the envelope from the owl, and then it stretched its wings and took off out of the room without making a single noise.

Hands trembling with thrill, she slowly slit open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside and did not even bother reading whom it was addressed to, because she knew perfectly well already.

_Dear Ms Yang,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. _

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Horace Slughorn_

_Deputy Headmaster_

'YESSSSS!!!' Li roared, punching a fist in the air. 'I GOT INTO HOGWARTS, MA!'

She thundered down the stairs, waving the acceptance letter around wildly above her head, and – WHAM!

'Huh?' Li said weakly, lifting herself off the ground and rubbing her forehead furiously. She had tripped over and was now kneeling at her father's feet. She scrambled to her own feet hurriedly and shoved the letter into her father's face.

'PA, LOOK! _HOGWARTS!_' she cried happily. 'Can we go to Diagon Alley _now_? Look –'

Li held her hand out towards the glass of orange juice on the dining table and made it hover in the air. Completely awed with her powers, she lost concentration and the glass of fell to the ground with a loud _clink_, the juice spilling everywhere.

Her father looked thoroughly amused with his eleven-year-old daughter and ruffled her hair. He was tall, had thinning black hair and wore glasses, and was wearing Muggle clothing instead of the normal wizarding robes (since they were living in a Muggle suburb). 'We'll go the day after tomorrow,' he said simply.

Li grinned broadly up at her father's gentle and warm face. She had been waiting for this moment to come, and now, it had. She wondered how the Muggle-borns would be dealing with the matter concerning Hogwarts. For the first time, she counted herself lucky to have parents who were born with magic and were experienced in dealing with owl posts. Then, she thought of Harry Potter, who had saved the wizarding world from Lord Voldemort, and wished him peace, wherever he was at the moment.

Yeah, there's the first chappie, hope it wasn't boring.. --

Just read and review, okay? I'm only starting so I can't be all that good… **CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM! **

angellicvisions. )


	2. Chapter 2

All right, I'm assuming you've all read the Harry Potter books, so you won't need explaining on why and how there are wizards in the world? Please read and review!

_CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM!_

Cho Chang talks _a lot_ in this chapter – much more than she did in the Harry Potter books, so you'll have an idea of what she's like in my eyes.

**DISCLAIMER:** Sigh, I do not own Harry Potter and its characters, or Hogwarts, though I damn wish I did or else I would've been the richest author in the world right now and I wouldn't be living in rags and begging for money!

The day after tomorrow came slowly for Li, and all she could think of was the fact that she was going to Hogwarts. She woke up early that day, sprinting down the stairs, ready to remind her father that they were going to Diagon Alley to buy her books and equipment. But none of her parents were downstairs.

The Muggle television was switched on in the living room, and Li could glimpse the figure of a young woman lying asleep on an armchair, her head flung back on one arm of the couch so that her long, sleek black hair hung almost touching the ground. She looked almost exactly like Li, except that she was clearly older and looked much more tired. Li crept closer to her, recognising immediately who this person was.

'Boo,' she said loudly in her second cousin's ear.

The older girl woke with a jolt, clinging to the chair and swearing explosively. Li burst into fits of hysterical laughter.

'LI!' Cho cried furiously. 'I was sleep–'

'I know you were sleeping – what are you doing here?'

'Oh,' said Cho, straightening herself up on the chair. 'Your parents can't accompany you to Diagon Alley today, so I'm here to take you there and buy your Hogwarts stuff. Is… that okay?' she added, seeing Li's slightly disappointed face.

Li's heart sank as she absorbed this piece of information, though she tried hard not to show it.

'Don't worry, Li – you'll have a great time shopping in Diagon Alley with me,' Cho said reassuringly.

'Where are Ma and Pa?' Li asked like a child.

'I'm not sure myself,' said Cho. 'They just told me they were too busy today… But no need to worry – I'm sure they'll be fine, wherever they are. Now get dressed into your robes – we're going right away.'

Li nodded obediently and trudged back upstairs, her spirits being the lowest in the two days since she received the Hogwarts letter. Her parents weren't here to take her… Cho didn't know where they were either… Could they have forgotten her? She pushed this thought out of her mind, telling herself it was silly to think that her beloved parents had abandoned her, but somehow, the thought kept finding its way back to torment Li. Frustrated, she got dressed and put Xiao Wu into her cage (rather heartily), and met Cho downstairs again, who was standing in front of the fireplace, a bowl of brownish powder in her hand.

One hand carrying Xiao Wu's cage, Li asked surprisedly, 'We're getting to Diagon Alley by Floo Powder?'

Cho nodded.

'I never knew our house is connected to the Floo Network – aren't we in a Muggle suburb?' said Li, puzzled.

'Yeah, we're in a Muggle suburb,' said Cho, grinning. 'But you'll be surprised at what your father has done with this house. It's much easier this way. Come on…' she added, gesturing Li to the fireplace.

'But…'

'We'll get you a wand first at Ollivander's first – wonder if he still works there, it's been a long time – then we'll get your books at Flourish and Blotts –' Cho murmured, more to herself, going to the front door of the house and securing the locks, acting all of a sudden as if Li wasn't there at all, 'you'll need a pet as well – I think it's best if we get you an owl –'

'Um, I've got Xiao Wu, I got it for my birthday in May –'

'Oh, that's right, then we won't need to spend anything on that… Hmm, you need a pointed hat as well –'

Li had never thought of wearing a pointed hat at school, and found the idea extremely ridiculous. 'A pointed hat –?'

But Cho continued to talk to herself clearly so that Li heard every word even when she was in a different room, switching off the lights and pulling the curtains closed.

'Wouldn't it be easier if you used magic to do all that, Cho?' Li inquired. 'I mean, you don't have the Trace on you anymore, right? You're overage!'

'True, but I'd rather not do it when we're still around a Muggle area,' Cho said when she was back in the living room. 'Better not risk it though, the wizarding world and the Muggle world isn't very stable at the moment, now that no one's been elected for Minister… Thicknesse did a disgusting job last year… I expect they'll be holding an election soon…' Cho slung her bag over her shoulder – Li wasn't sure what it was for, since they were only going for her books and equipment – and for the first time seemed to realise Li was still in the house.

'Why are you still here?' she asked incredulously. 'Grab a handful of Floo Powder and get going!'

Li hesitated. 'I – I've never done it before.'

'Oh – well – you must've seen your parents travel by Floo Powder… Here, I'll take Xiao Wu for you and I'll meet you at Diagon Alley,' Cho said hurriedly. 'Go on.'

Li swallowed hard. In truth, she had not seen anyone travel by Floo powder, and she could not confide this even in Cho, her favourite relative, who seemed to be impatient at the moment. She had only heard her father muttering these things to himself and she didn't think that it was important…

She dug a shaky hand in the bowl of Floo Powder that Cho held out and stepped into the fireplace. _All right, Li,_ she told herself sternly. _Get a grip. _She took a deep breath and released the powder in her hands while saying, 'Diagon Alley!'

Green flames erupted from the fireplace and Li could feel the warmth of the fire as she was being sucked into another destination. Seconds later she found herself in a crowded place full of witches and wizards wearing robes and pointed hats shopping around and exchanging Knuts, Sickles and Galleons, the wizarding system of money. Li's jaw dropped. It was a long and cobbled street was filled with all sorts of eye-catching stores selling wizarding products, and for a moment Li considered running into one of the stores without waiting for Cho.

At that exact moment Cho came from the same fireplace that Li had just come from, her face perfectly calm with one hand carrying Xiao Wu in her cage. She stepped out.

'You did it!' Cho said proudly. 'See? It's not all that hard!'

'Well…' Li didn't know what to say at her own accomplishment. She had been in great doubt that it would turn out right, and now that she had gotten through by Floo powder for the first time, she felt confidence rise in her.

'Let's go and withdraw money from your vault first,' muttered Cho, gently laying her hand on Li's shoulder and leading the way through Diagon Alley. 'Gringotts. Goblins run it – it's not a very good idea to go and break into it.'

'Wow, this place is amazing,' Li said ecstatically, completely ignoring Cho, her eyes darting around all places. She wished she had all the time and money to buy everything. 'Can we visit a few more shops after we get my books and equipment?'

'Hmm, if you like,' said Cho, more preoccupied in getting Li to follow her. 'Stick to me – you might get lost. Oh, for heaven's sake, Li!'

Li had stopped abruptly in front of a store called _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_, which gave off an aura of intense excitement around it. There were many children her age and older who were swarming to get into the joke shop. Li's eyes were wide with wonder as she stared into the store, making a mental note to buy some pranking items to bring to Hogwarts.

'We have to visit this place, Cho,' she said, trying to get a full view of the wide range of sweets.

Cho sighed and pulled Li out of the wave of people all gaping with fascination at the joke shop.

They walked down the busy road, every now and then passing young female wizards whom Cho said hi to ('Old friends of mine – from Hogwarts,' she explained when Li asked about them) and sometimes storekeepers even offered Li and Cho items for free (Cho did not approve of this, saying that Lord Voldemort had only just been defeated, and it would be a foolish thing to do to accept items free of charge).

'Besides, you've got money to spend on better things,' she said. 'Your parents left a bit of money for you in your own vault at Gringotts.'

'Really?' Li asked, bedazzled. 'I have a vault? How come they never told me of it?'

After they had withdrawn a reasonable amount of money from Gringotts (a great, white marble building towering over almost the whole of Diagon Alley), Cho led Li back down the alley to a grungy little shop with a window display of only a single wand on an old purple cushion.

'Ollivander's, makers of fine wands since 382 BC,' Li read from the sign, one eyebrow raised. 'Is this it? Is this where I'll be getting my wand?'

Cho said nothing. She silently entered through the creaky door, with Li following closely behind.

If the outside appearance of the store was shabby, then there was no word for the inside. It looked like a tornado had hit the heart of the store – if it was even a store at all. It was a dark and dusty place, which gave an impression of an enormous cardboard box, with thousands of straight, wooden sticks left lying everywhere on the ground. Cho and Li exchanged tiny looks of distaste as they crept around the store, trying to avoid treading on the many wands on the ground.

'Mr Ollivander?' Cho called. No answer came. 'Mr Ollivander!' she said again, this time a bit louder. 'Are you here?'

'Cho… look at this place,' Li said uncertainly. 'Are you sure he hasn't retired after he was kidnapped by V–'

'Don't be silly,' Cho snapped. 'He wouldn't let any of the new first-years down…'

Soon, the noise of shuffling feet came from a corner where narrow boxes were starting to tower high up to the ceiling. A few boxes toppled over and landed onto the ground. Out of the dust appeared an old man with eerie eyes, studying the two visitors curiously.

'Ah, Miss Chang, I assume?' he said in a misty sort of voice, darting his eyes towards Cho. 'And what might bring you back here?'

'Oh – um – I was wondering if my cousin – well, my second cousin, really – could… buy a wand?' Cho said quietly, her eyes slowly revolving around the store. 'If – if you are still selling here, of course… I mean, how are you –'

'I'm good, good, everything's going okay, I guess…' Ollivander said, picking up a wand on the ground. 'Here, little girl, try this.'

He stumbled towards Li, who was speechless because of some unexplainable emotion, and cautiously handed the wand to her. 'Just – swish and flick,' he said, miming the movement with his hand.

Li glanced nervously at Cho, who smiled back, and did the movement demonstrated by Ollivander with the wand. A loud bag came from the wand and the store was even in worse state than it was when they first came in – the boxes that Ollivander was stacking up ended up in a heap on the ground. He cried out in devastation, and Li gave a wince of guilt.

'I'm so sorry, Mr – er –' Li began pleadingly, but Cho broke her off.

'It's okay,' she whispered in Li's ear. 'First tries are always like that.'

'Why is he so… upset, then?' When Cho gave a small shrug, Li paid attention to the wandmaker again.

'P – perhaps…' Ollivander stammered, '… this one…'

Another wand was given to Li, and this time she felt much more comfortable and much less disastrous.

'Hazel, eleven-and-a-half inches long, flexible, phoenix feather,' Ollivander said in one breath. 'I think maybe it might suit you…'

_Swish and flick,_ Li thought, and the wand did something rather very helpful and pleasant. The mess in the store was cleared up; every wand on the ground was placed in its own box, and the store looked much more like a store again. Li was half amused at the result this wand in her hand gave.

'Oh no, you do not decide your wand – the wand decides its owner,' he replied when she asked for the wand. His voice now sounded very relieved and grateful. 'But – look at this! This is wonderful! I think the wand has already decided!'

Li grinned broadly at Cho.

'How much will it cost, Mr Ollivander?' Cho asked, taking out a few pieces of Galleons from Li's moneybag (Li let her do the payment, she wasn't very familiar with wizarding money, for she spent most of her life using Muggle money).

'That's a special wand, but eight Galleons and three Sickles will do,' Ollivander said brightly as Cho handed him the money. 'As a matter of interest, what is your name, young girl?'

Li was struck at his request for her name. 'Uh… I'm Li – Li Yang,' she said pathetically.

Ollivander gave a small laugh. 'You look almost exactly like Cho here, do you know?'

'Yeah… heaps of people have told me that –'

'Mr Ollivander, we've got to go,' Cho said politely as she led Li out. Li waved to the old wandmaker, feeling a tiny bit of affection for him.

'Now, treat that wand well, Li,' Ollivander said, waving back at her.

When they were out of the shop, Cho seemed very pleased with the wand in Li's hand. They bought Li's robes, stationery and books afterwards, and for the next few hours after that, went wandering around – Li at _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_, having the time of her life exploring the shop – and then at lunch stopped to eat at a nearby café, where they had umbrellas over the tables outside.

Li had never done this much shopping in her life and had never felt so free and optimistic, now that she had a new wand in her possession and many things to look forward to. At _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_, she bought the whole range of Skiving Snackboxes, filled with sweets that made you ill to get out of class ('Your parents wouldn't be very happy if you used them to get out of lessons at school,' Cho commented, as she looked through the collection of sweets) and also bought some real candy including Chocolate Frogs and Licorice Wands to take home.

An owl arrived swooping at Cho's head carrying a small envelope right after they had finished their midday meal. She relieved the owl of the letter. Li watched her eyes turn from cheerful to anxious as she read, saying nothing.

'Your parents still aren't home. They want me to stay with you and take you to King's Cross on the first day of September – they won't be able to make it.' And with that she hugged Li tightly, trying not to cry. 'I – I think it's so cruel that parents… d – don't come to their child's… first day of school,' she whispered, choking through tears.

A/n: That's the end of chapter 2! Please review… even though it may not be worth it… is it a bit short? I dunno. I've got heaps of doubts – well, hope you enjoyed it.

angellicvisions.


End file.
